Vietnam Veterans statistics

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This is an e-mail I received from my old unit.

Vietnam.

"Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American. Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 54 years old." So, if you're alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in Viet Nam?!?!? ....don't know about you guys, but kind a gives me the chills, considering this is the kind of information I'm used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets...

So the last 14 years we are dying too fast, only the few will survive by 2015...if any. If true 390 VN vets die a day so in 2190 days...from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive..... in only 6 years... These statistics were taken from a variety of sources to include: The VFW Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer - 1st Recon April 12, 1997.

STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY

VIETNAM VETERANS:

* 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975).
* 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28,1973).
* 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation.
* 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
* 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1,1965 - March 28, 1973).
* Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
* Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1..6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
* 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
* Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30,1968)

CASUALTIES:

* The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
* Hostile deaths: 47,378
* Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
* Total: 58,202 (Includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.
* 8 nurses died -- 1 was KIA.
* Married men killed: 17,539
* 61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
* 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
* Of those killed, 17,539 were married.
* Average age of men killed: 23.1 years
* Deaths -Average Age: Total Deaths: 23.11 years; Enlisted: 50,274- 22.37 years; Officers: 6,598- 28..43 years; Warrants: 1,276- 24.73 years; 11B MOS:
18,465- 22.55 years
* Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
* The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
* Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).
* Wounded: 303,704 -- 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
* Severely disabled: 75,000, -- 23,214: 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
* Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea.
* Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
* Missing in Action: 2,338
* POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)
* As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS:

* 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII).
* Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
* Reservists killed: 5,977
* National Guard: 6,140 served: 101 died.
* Total draftees (1965 - 73): 1,728,344.
* Actually served in Vietnam: 38%
* Marine Corps Draft: 42,633.
* Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.
RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

* 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.
* 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 12.5% (7,241) were black; 1.2% belonged to other races.
* 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.
* 70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.
* 86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were Caucasian; 12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races.
* 14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.
* 34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.
* Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.
* Religion of Dead: Protestant -- 64.4%; Catholic -- 28.9%; other/none -- 6.7%

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:

* Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
* Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent.
* 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds.
* Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds.
* Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
* 79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service. (63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.)
* Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South -- 31%, West --29.9%; Midwest -- 28.4%; Northeast -- 23.5%.

DRUG USAGE & CRIME:

* There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group. (Source: Veterans Administration Study)
* Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
* 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.

WINNING & LOSING:

* 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will.
* Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of arms.
HONORABLE SERVICE:

* 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
* 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
* 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.
* 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.

INTERESTING CENSUS STATISTICS & THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE "Been There":

* 1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).

* During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country was: 9,492,958.
* As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. That's 390 per day.
* During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.
 
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Where is the headlined statistic on "Agent Orange" attributed deaths? I know of at least three personally.
 
That last one hits the nail on the head[angry]

I wonder how many are getting benefits from the VA?

I hope not many Cowboy! The VA works pretty hard to be sure a veteran is qualified for benefits.

It took me over 4 years to get my paperwork through the VA, and had to prove every word of what I said.

They do find a few posers now and again though. It just amazes me how someone needs to live that lie. It's disgusting.

So now there are less than a million of us alive. Some of us toothless old farts will be riding in parades on the back seat of Cadilac convertibles pretty soon. (Damn, guess some of us already are)

I'm proud to have served, and would do it again.
 
Gees, this is depressing. I thought I was fit and healthy. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm curious about how they extrapolated the poser statistics from the census data.
 
Gees, this is depressing. I thought I was fit and healthy. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm curious about how they extrapolated the poser statistics from the census data.

Windwalker, the .Gov sends people into the veterans orgs like the Legion and the VFW, and shout ..... "TEN SHUN!!!!!" The ones who don't automatically stand up are the posers.
 
The ratio in that last part seems about right to me, from my experience. I would say that 3 out of five guy's that start out telling me they were a Vietnam Veteran, eventually change it to "Vietnam Era Veteran" when questioned.

Sometimes my questions get a little pointed.....I tend to act like a junk yard dog with a new chew toy when I find a bullshitter![smile]

I knew too many real heroes back then, and I don't take it lightly when someone bullshits about being one of them.
 
"By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not."

WOW................. and it used to be so uncool to be a Vietnam Veteran in the 70's and 80's.
 
4 out of every 5 are posers! There must be a mistique for them that I don't understand.It seems to me that a normal person would just not say anything rather that lie about being a vet.When I was disharged in 1970 we were advised not tell anyone that we were Vietnam vets and not to put this information on a work application because we may not be looked upon favorably.I guess times have changed.
 
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4 out of every 5 are posers! There must be a mistique for them that I don't understand.It seems to me that a normal person would just not say anything rather that lie about being a vet.When I was disharged in 1970 we were advised not tell anyone that we were Vietnam vets and not to put this information on a work application because we may not be looked upon favorably.I guess times have changed.

Pretty frickin fickle wouldn't you say?
 
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